The Public Nuisance Podcast #034 “Paddy Found a Fiver” with Rory Hale

Welcome to a new episode of The Public Nuisance Podcast with me, Sean McComb.

This week we welcome Irish League Footballer, Rory Hale to the podcast.

We cover Tea with Me Charity Football Match, Aston Villa, N.I players going to England, New Managers, Cliftonville Buy Over, Man City, The Money in Football, Willy T at LB, The one That Got Away and much more.

New episodes every Tuesday.

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Sean McComb

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Killen Studios

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That Prize Guy

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Transcript

Introduction with Rory Hale

Speaker 1 0:17

The Public Nuisance. Sean McCann it let's not forget that praise guy doing millions of pounds and prizes every single year, donating the charity, helping their communities, helping their local football teams, you name it. They're doing it magic. Get on their website and see what prizes they have to offer. But this is the day we have clippenville's finest rory hale. Cheers, cheers for coming on, lad.

Speaker 2 0:43

Appreciate it. Thanks for bringing me on.

Speaker 1 0:45

It's a good wee spot here, isn't it? It's decent enough. I always tell people it's a wee bit like when you see balaclars. They come up, it's not too far to Belfast, but then when you get in here it doesn't feel like you're in balaclars.

Speaker 2 0:59

Definitely not, man. It's actually a we set up and the coffee's good as well.

Speaker 1 1:01

So you can't be bad to it.

Speaker 2 1:03

You treated me today, thank you don't worry about that I'm sending an invoice for it. Get on and go on on a lure.

Speaker 1 1:10

I'm sending an invoice for it, fuck's sake. So what's the crack?

Speaker 2 1:14

we're just back from holiday aye, so it's four weeks off. We're absolutely burning, it flies in we're back there graff now. We're back to a graph now and started back last Monday, so that's us preparing for Europe for an hour. 11 months of hell here so tight enough got some team from Gibraltar, st Joseph's. They lost their league in goal difference.

European ambitions against Gibraltar

Speaker 1 1:36

So it's going to be a tight enough game, but winners of that get Shamrock Rovers, which would be absolutely mental yeah, it would be amazing for like obviously just having that all Ireland like domestic game in Europe would be class, because obviously going to Gibraltar and getting that experience of going away in Europe is always good, I suppose, but having that domestic thing for the club as a whole must be fucking classic could you play that type of games every pre-season?

Speaker 2 2:07

you play the friendlies against them, boys, but it's a friendly, it's a token it's getting minutes in the legs, but if you think you can get a marriage cup final sale out or a league cup final sale out in a couple of minutes, imagine you were down at Talla against. Shamrock Rovers, climwell and Rovers, who are probably, you know, partner in clubs. Their fans are poor Climwell and Climwell fans are poor Rovers. It would be absolutely amazing, yeah 100%.

Speaker 1 2:31

Do you know anyone plays for Shamrock Rovers on a personal level?

Speaker 2 2:35

I'm making it. I went to his wedding in the last year, so as soon as the draw was made I gave him a text.

Speaker 1 2:40

We beat this Gibraltar team here did they get a bye or are they playing so?

Speaker 2 2:44

Rovers. Rovers actually got a bye to the second round, so Drakkada were actually meant to be in the second round because they won the cup, but they've been kicked out of Europe because some team, some Swedish team the owner owns Emmons as well. She can't have two teams in the same competition, so Drakkada got kicked out in the same competition so talking like a kickstart Rovers gotta buy.

Speaker 1 3:04

Fucks the jammie fuckers. We're grafting out in Gibraltar in 32 degrees heat to try and get a result. It'll be hard to adapt, won't it like?

Speaker 2 3:12

that heat plan. It will, and do you know what them clubs can use at their advantage? So you obviously pick your kickoff times. We're obviously quarter to eight when you come to Northern Ireland, but when we go to Gibraltar our kick-off's five o'clock UK time. So six o'clock in Gibraltar, where it's going to be 30 plus degrees, which will be a huge factor in the way we play.

Speaker 1 3:36

You don't get much heat there you know what I mean the repairs.

Speaker 2 3:39

It's been.

Speaker 1 3:41

It'll be quite difficult to be fair obviously the hydration will be big because travelling you tend to dehydrate when you're travelling, so usually hydration is going to be key for it, especially playing that heat.

Speaker 2 3:56

It's a tight enough schedule too, because Joe Gormley's testimonial game is actually on the Sunday. We play Derry for Joe's testimonial and then, actually on the Sunday, we play Derry For Joe's testimonial, and Then we have the game's been changed To the Tuesday, so it was originally Meant to be the Thursday, but fucking over, in Gibraltar we're only playing one stadium and there's three teams Playing in Europe, so our game has been moved to a Tuesday. So we'll play on the Sunday, fly out Sunday night Straight after the match, and then you have a tight turnaround Trying to get a training session In on the Monday and have a fucking Play on the Tuesday.

Speaker 1 4:27

You're going to get a couple minutes To roll on, roll off or something For the testimonial, will you?

Speaker 2 4:31

I will Just be a bit of fun. I think you have to give Joe the respect, because it's a big day for him. He 100% deserves At that moment. So it wouldn't be nice to see you know. Yeah, there's people that's going on going through the motions because you still.

Speaker 1 4:47

You'll still play with intensity, but because we're playing Derry and everyone.

Speaker 2 4:50

You end up getting beat 8 or 9. You know what I mean.

Speaker 1 4:52

You don't want that we have a strong squad now too. I'm not like with Boise and I'll be good, because I was asking really pay for for Derry. Obviously, big sub, he's one of the organizers, so just asking. I'm going to go down myself and watch it like so big boys he's he's be unbelievable they have a good strong squad, carl Winchester, and all the same he's running the show.

Speaker 2 5:17

He's absolutely.

Speaker 1 5:18

It's probably too easy for him you know going playing for England the last 10 years to come to the League of Ireland.

Speaker 2 5:23

He's struggling like anytime I watch a Derry City game, he's just struggling through it.

From Villa academy to Irish League success

Speaker 1 5:26

I've never seen some people who drop a level that can't really compete at that level. It's like it's a different type of it's almost same boxing. Say, if I fight a novice who's just swinging, it's fucking terrible for me. I can't. I can't fight someone like that the actual performers.

Speaker 2 5:42

Aye, you're dropping that level. Like we especially in my line of business with the coaching, we have a lot of kids like it's fucking hard to make it as a footballer hard, you know, as a professional boxer as well. I think it's like 0.09%.

Speaker 2 5:57

Go on to make an actual professional footballer yeah and the problem is is when these kids are leaving their clubs in England, their Aston Villas, their Chelseas, southamptons, arsenals, whatever it is, they think because I was in Arsenal or Villa, you were in Aston Villa in their 23s. You were in Arsenal Academy. You didn't make a first team game, they think. Coming back to the Irish League, this is people's livelihood. Do you know what I mean? You?

Speaker 2 6:22

think you're going to come in here and just stroll through games. You know you're arsing your elbow right quick and that's what the problem is. A lot of players just probably stick their nose up on it and go I'll come back here and I'll stroll this and I'll get an R move in a year that's not the way it happens, definitely not.

Speaker 1 6:39

No, because, see, like you were, you were asking because, remember, we were talking about Pedro, oh, fucking, he slagged me in front of everyone and then straight over to me, sorry about that fucking made a dick out of me. Another 50 people she was saying sorry.

Speaker 2 6:54

I was stage a company.

Speaker 1 6:55

You had the microphone but I remember like it was like that's I was class to see him for me going fuck, that's mad, like he knows him on a personal level from. When he was a kid growing up and then obviously playing against him in a charity game years later. It's like that's fucking class and still and Petrov being such a great player for Villa and Celtic Like a big player for me growing up I had looked up to Like going fuck. That's amazing that he knows him on a personal level 100%.

Speaker 2 7:19

That was the same with me when I went over to Villa as a 15-year-old. You're seeing someone you looked up to as a Celtic fan. Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton and Petrov was the three players I always looked up to when you were a Celtic fan. So to go and get coached by him and learn everything off him. And, to be fair, he was an absolute warrior because he was going through the chemotherapy team.

Speaker 1 7:41

And he was still coming in and because he was going through leukemia at the time and he was still coming in and he was.

Speaker 2 7:44

He was out running boys and running. This fella was at least 15 kg overweight, with obviously all the illness that was going on with him, and just showed the mentality like people think you're getting it tough and you have this fella coming in with leukemia and he's just bouncing around and, to be fair, he said some lovely words of me on that Saturday night as well yeah he did make a dick out of him but you know he had a wee lovely conversation with me after and he goes listen, your career probably didn't play out the way that you wanted it to be.

Speaker 2 8:13

You didn't become a premier league footballer, but you know you've turned in to be one of the best Irish league players. Yeah, you have a successful business. And when you do put everything in the perspective, you know, know, you think at a 21-year-old. 22-year-old, you get released in England. You think your world's over. Yeah, still, go on. Go on and do some good things. Do you know what I mean? No, you have to keep that hunger.

Speaker 1 8:33

Like there seems to be like a thing here in Northern Ireland where pairs get released, sort of I don't know. They're sort of just drop and drop and drop. It's like lifestyle. You know, like I've known people in the past who's maybe turned to drink or to go on. They're taking drugs and they're just when they get home it's like I don't know. I know a good lot of players from Ivers growing up like who's just, I remember when they get to that certain age he just filters down. I wonder if it's like, do you think when they go away it's lonely or something for them? Then when they go back they feel like they're missing out on all that lifestyle, while their mates are out drinking and partying and stuff.

Speaker 2 9:14

I think we get it completely different to the boys who have been through it in Englandland. You're talking there 14 to 15 hours a week. That you're getting already.

Speaker 2 9:30

So they're used to that, they're used to that environment. They're used to, you know, their parents pampering them with everything, because that's that's just what they were used to in their lifestyle. And I think what's going wrong now with the kids is, the first time to do, get a wee bit of money. Yeah, it does get to them, and it was the same with me when I first got my pro contract. And you get a few quid and you go from your scholarship wage to your pro wage and you go fuck me, that's nice. What am I grabbing? Now, you know, you go out and you buy your Gucci belt and a pair of Gucci shoes and next thing gets really shit. But you're going to come back next month again. And I think that's what's happening with the kids now, because they're not used to going through their life people coming from working class backgrounds 100%, and especially setbacks as well.

Speaker 2 10:16

They're over there. Some of them can just go home and sit with their man there or whatever it is, you're sitting over there lonely. You're going to have to probably FaceTime your marida, and that's not the same.

Speaker 1 10:26

Yeah, it's not the same. It's not that comforting, not getting that comfort Like your loved ones around you, support you and give you the encouragement you need constantly. Like if you've got a bad injury, you're sitting going like you know what I mean. It's fucking.

Speaker 2 10:40

I even think now, looking at the kids that I have we're talking a few kids going across the water this weekend and we've had a few back home, that's that's on their off season that we've helped through the last few years and the pressure, the pressure put on these kids now from themselves, not even from the outside of it social media they have. They have to be the best, they have to have every single thing, which is absolutely.

Speaker 1 11:07

It's getting worse, it's harder, it's just making it harder for themselves because, like, they have to perform, otherwise they're failing, like beyond the standards that they're putting out on social media. So if they're not living the standards that their social media is saying, then they probably, no matter what they're doing, they can't post it because it's not good enough. Like, let's say, someone kid playing for Linfield star player, win this, win, that, scoring this per season. Then he goes across the water and he's not doing that. He's not even getting on. He's not even getting on. Let's say, he's not getting a sniff. He can't even post what people think of him back home. He's not over there because there's probably a hundred of him, excuse him and batter, so now he's not the man in the morning.

Speaker 1 11:48

It's like people need to be a wee bit more open about themselves and just be like oh fuck it. I see a pair's over here, fuck me.

Speaker 2 11:54

I'm good I see a pair's over here and it's an ego thing as well, because we've been there and done it. Like you know, we Levi Levi, coaches with me as well and we've had like a wee pro camp on for the last three weeks. So the boys that have been back from England, scotland, and they like to keep themselves ticking over, yeah, and we've done like a wee five, a seed tournament with the coaches against all the kids and I. You have a load. Dee Walsh is next, we got an absolute smasher, and then you've Chrissie Offran all going to Chelsea, sean Moore, west Ham.

Speaker 2 12:25

So we had a load of boys back home that were keeping ticking over and we'd done like a wee three team five, a say game. And there was, you know me, levi, calvin, a couple of Irish and we didn't lose a game and they None of them could beat us. And what I was trying to instill in them was you think we're doing good here? Yeah, for you to get you know, push on the Sunderland first team, push on the West Ham first team. I couldn't list our left boot at the right foot.

Speaker 1 12:53

Do you know what I?

Speaker 2 12:54

mean, if you're facing a difficulty against us, you need to seriously raise your levels to get the standard football you want to play at, and it's kind of Be sometimes A reality check for them. You know, right, we're I'm doing good, I'm doing good, you're doing just alright. Yeah, you're doing, alright, you're doing good Is when you're sitting there and you've got that Four or five year pro and you're settled For the next few years. Yeah, few first team games Under your belt and then you can.

Speaker 1 13:19

You know, have it's it is. I always say football like to watch a footballer, like see, like before the match kicks off and the players just start kicking the ball, but Richard or she, that's like fuck me. Like you don't realise how precise a ring is when I was like watching, like I remember watching Scholes, just just just repeatedly, effortless boom, just playing across the pitch the same same every single time.

Speaker 1 13:46

Not a fucking centimeter in the difference, and I was like I could watch that all day and that's just the smallest wee thing he's doing and there's not one thing he's doing wrong and it's doing that repeatedly and everything you do under pressure when the game actually starts is like boom boom.

Speaker 2 14:04

And Rowan said the same about the Celtic when they went to play Celtic at Celtic Park. I think it was 6-0. At half time he'd 6 touches and all 6 were from centre. He didn't get a touch of a ball and he just couldn't get near them. It's crazy, it's just, you know, it's just a. It's probably in teams heads. When you go to them teams you just go right, we're going. Hopefully we get Celtic in an off day here. But he just said like once they turn it on couldn't get near them.

Speaker 1 14:31

When you get, that's Celtic, and then you can go to the heart of a game and say, like City or Liverpool, it's like just levels. It's insane how quick the man thinks and how quick the man thinks when you're watching, like Madrid and all, and even like Yamaha, we had 17. When I watch him I'm like he's the best player in the world.

Speaker 1 14:52

I'm saying he's the best player in the world because, like I watched him in the Champions League semi-final and every time he got the every single time he got the ball in the second half, he's getting a pair, and every time he had a shot he hit on target. I know every time for for the full second half. It was unbelievable. I was looking going that kid's 17, what the like yeah, what's what's going on? I know what to feed them, what's he doing?

Speaker 2 15:14

where's his main work?

Speaker 1 15:16

here's his main develop to do this and have our confidence, go around a pair repeatedly and keep doing it and keep an. Then come in and shoot like I was going. It's insane and obviously he personally didn't even win, but I'm going like like Massey was nowhere near that good when he was 17 maybe he was, but he wasn't that confident to go and do it on a semi-final of the Champions League and with him, like I say, the amount of social media.

Speaker 2 15:39

Like he couldn't fart. That's not the media. Do you know what I mean?

Speaker 1 15:42

he's out with some 30 year old in a jet ski and all. Do you know what I mean?

Speaker 2 15:46

he's getting tortured over it let the fella have a wee bit of fun, but he can't do nothing. He's in the spotlight of everything.

Speaker 1 15:55

He'd walk you know what I mean. I know 100% he can't even. That's like I remember full phone when he was a kid, the same like it was all wee stuff, like a couple years ago where his like Yamal is like a whole different level, like Aldegar, like at that age 17, had even the vibe. You wonder like what way is his life gonna go? Is he gonna be able to just brush it off and just continue on with his career? No one knows what effect it's going to have on people.

Speaker 1 16:22

A lot of pressure, but like something I say this all the time to people like as a footballer, if I was a footballer I would almost rather just play like championship, get myself a good fucking 12, 15, 20 grand a week, not be as famous and just be comfortable in life and play at that level. But obviously I'm saying that from the outside in because obviously, me having a big sporting background, you want to be the best you can possibly be. But with football it's the fame that comes with it. It's insane, like if you look at Kyle Frampton in boxing two time world champion, three time world champion, two weight world champion he's fucking. He's very wealthy, he's very famous, but he can go for a pint. Yeah, I mean then media won't come near him. Now people will go near him but the media won't. It's not.

Speaker 2 17:10

He's one recording as a footballer content, even the tired people yeah, and it's like even here, like they're trying to antagonize you like the video you can call you call you hanging, and as soon as you say something back to it, you always post it on Twitter and it's you're getting absolute doggies. Remember, rennie?

The challenges of young players returning home

Speaker 1 17:28

was here and your mom says, oh, you're ready to bang a granny or something. Your mom shouts at him in the video, going when are you ready to bang? And he turns around and his dad and all grabs him back like you're trying to fit your mind, your mind's recording, so like that's just for me that's no way to live, but obviously you still want to be the pinnacle of your sport. It's just a shame the way this country is that you can't fucking, you can't have a best of both and that's why I'm saying playing championship and getting that good wage of, say, like 20 grand a week, not being as famous like you, you you're not in the spotlight of everyone, you can go down and have a coffee and sit there and not get absolutely tortured or get fucking dog abuse wherever you go.

Speaker 2 18:12

Do you know what I mean? So it's, it's the same with, like, even running, adapting from Irish league to Scots league and now international, like it's, it was huge jumps, yeah, massive, in where you're going obviously it's a local league, obviously international levels different, different like all the guys, different gravy big time.

Speaker 2 18:34

I think he's proved over the last you know year that he's even better. Yeah, we are still levels where he can reach up to and there's probably no disrespect to Ross County. I've lost them five or six times, but you know they were. They were a defensive team yeah, don't have much of a budget and they were. Their aim is to stay up and unfortunately they've went down this season, but they get 18 goals in a in a season and for a team that you know it's not, they're not supplanting it's not Harcher Hibbs or.

Speaker 2 19:01

Robert Ng, where you're going to be controlling games and getting maybe five or six chances a game.

Speaker 2 19:05

He was only getting one or two chances a game and for 18 goals. In that type of environment, where he was used to being a Climbal as well like near enough, every game you're trying to win whereas you know a point away from home for us can't be a good result which it is. So it was hard for him to switch that mentality because Ronan's a winner. Of course you know what I mean. He's a winner. I remember my first game of the season. They were playing Motherwell and they drew 0-8. And I played at Motherwell first game of the season.

Speaker 2 19:31

Good result, I take it for a and he took off 70th minute or something. He rang me up. He took off in the 70th minute and we should be trying to win it, as I know. But we're on different match. It's going to be, you're used to we're drawing the way to a glance. We're still trying to win yep, 100%. It's different at that level. Their aim is to stay up and try and build on that.

Speaker 1 19:52

Yeah, it's hard. It was hard for him to adapt to it. I've never actually thought about that like in terms of tactics, like going 100%, I know and it's just unfortunate that they went down yeah, no, it's fun, it's, it's different, it's just obviously. I suppose it's management too, when a manager comes in and like a new manager may come in and go.

Speaker 1 20:57

I want your press, girl, and then you have to adapt again at that level because obviously no one like I was thinking and the car Winchester was telling me before I think he was a four screen at the time and he says I'm fucked here, new manager coming in, I don't think he likes me, but then he ended up. He did like him and he ended up playing, but he didn't play a season off him. But and it was like it's mad like one manager can come in and love me and then a new manager comes in six months later and go, I don't want him part of my squad. And it's like fuck yeah, you don't know what your future holds like.

Speaker 2 21:30

And it was the same when Magelton joined Crimval, because obviously I'd left Northern Ireland to go to Republic of Ireland as a kid, yeah, and it wasn't. It wasn't Jim who I left, jim I left. Jim was the 21s manager at the time, but I had left the 19s, yeah. And Jim had called me up and said I want to call you up to the 21s, like. And I was like no, I'm going home, yeah. Or I said something stupid excuse, like I want to concentrate on my career at Villa, or something. He was like you know one of them ones anyway. And then when it did switch, you know you've got that wee bit of in the back of your head. You don't know what's happening. And I remember seeing him a few years. I was doing my A licence a few years ago I think it was only 22 or 23, and I was walking across a pitch and Jim shouted over to SP Murray, who I was walking with, and he goes SP, is that that wee here? And I went walking with me who's SP set that week deal?

Speaker 1 22:29

and I know we've been shares there, no courses there and I was telling you we think I'm not sitting off back here so when, when Jim got the job with come on, that's got the go, I just didn't know you know what about what? The relationship? No, really, no, obviously.

Speaker 2 22:42

I had a decent enough relationship with a previous manager, with paddy. He had brought me to clintonville and, to be fair, first day of pre-season I remember I was doing the runs around and I was. I was leading the runs and jim said he goes me, you can run, and I said that's all I can do, having the way to him, and he said that no chance he goes, I'm going to make you a star, you're going to be my main man, and that was it.

Speaker 1 23:06

I didn't even need to have a conversation with him about he just went.

Speaker 2 23:09

You're going to be my main man and I went fucking brilliant, he was my angle runs through a brick wall for this fella here.

Speaker 1 23:14

Just from that wee comment and to be fair, I don't think you've been flying, been flying like, but I think now, with the, the new bars coming in, will you just go full time next year, maybe, so we're still waiting on the with the green light with it I think, from what I know, the fans have have given the go ahead.

Speaker 2 23:35

Yeah, come with the fan. Owned club, member owned club. So they've given the go ahead. I think it was a proper huge vote in favour of it. Yeah, you have to progress don't you?

Speaker 1 23:46

you have to push on. You do? You'll be left behind because you're starting to see more teams playing at Nairn we are, and we were sitting down a couple weeks ago and you're going.

Speaker 2 23:55

You still had this team on paper who you've let go over the last three seasons which.

Speaker 2 24:00

Jim and Paddy had you'd be winning, you'd be qualifying for Europe. You know the players we lost for players to go for bigger money or better their careers, because you know Luke Turner went to St Pat's he was absolutely amazing for us. Crick and Gallagher went to Larne. Ronan Daugherty went to Coleraine. Ronan Hills went to Ross County. Ben Wilson's now been signed for 200,000 To go to TNS. Sean Moore went to West Ham, so Luke McNicholas Went to Wrexham, so we had Fuck if we held on.

Speaker 2 24:35

That's it. It's all down to finance as well, sean, because people need to make a living. I've no problem with If boys need to go to Coleraine. If they're offering them fucking three times their wages, why wouldn't you?

Speaker 1 24:45

you have to go. At the end of the day. It's something you've sacrificed a lot of time for, and people have young families, people have a wee bit of security with their lives and it's a short career some people like Joe Gorm was talking to him last week.

Speaker 1 25:00

He was saying he like he would have loved the opportunity to play, to play full time in the Irish League for Climbal but he won't get that, maybe till next year because they won't bring that in until next year where boys go full time and I says, well, you never know, he may bang an hour. He fucking bangs an hour.

Speaker 2 25:16

20 that's what he said of these 40 but no, he, he said that to me as well. He said that even if I got a one year deal, and the club went full time, I would leave the school for a year and and go in and do it, and that's all he wants to do. So I'm all for it as well, because, listen, it can't be better as well.

Speaker 1 25:35

It can't bring a stronger fucking togetherness within the team like it's always like if he's at a gare doing anything to gare, like eating to gare, lunch to gare, breakfast, training, full time and yeah, it's just like you're bringing in and then obviously you'll bring in better players with the finances and fucking, just strengthening to be fair, we've hung in there the last few years for us to be challenging that most teams have like is.

Speaker 2 26:01

It's been phenomenal, to be honest. You know we've brought in near enough three trophies, we've got beat in a final and we've qualified for Europe. Maybe three or four teams. We had a good go at the league. One year we'll defeat the. Beatles by a point and to be fair, last, not that season, but the previous two seasons, you know we're hanging in there the April team and then the squads, the squads, done.

The financial reality of Irish League football

Speaker 2 26:22

It happens. Whereas you know, I remember playing Lauren in the first I think it was we beat them in the Irish Cup semi final and then we played them three days later in the league and we played the exact same starting 11 from the Saturday. But we were absolutely fucked.

Speaker 1 26:36

Lauren made four or five changes and they were fresh as daisies. To have that luxury of. That's where the finances come in. It's, you know, on a standard of various league it's almost like man City. They can just rotate their squad whenever they want. Full time, the finances and you know, I know every team in the Premier League are all full time and they're all professional athletes but it's just having that wider squad and the finances to do what they can do with top players not just like on the race.

Speaker 1 27:05

Players like you maybe bring a couple of players, reserve players, bring them in, yeah, and maybe feed them, but you can't afford to do that like give them as a starting where city can bring in top players, and I think even again, finances always plays a part.

Speaker 2 27:20

And listen, I'm not saying anybody should be happy being on the bench, but but you know it softens the blow if you're picking up five or six hundred quid a week. Clipball as a club could not afford, you know, to have two or three players even on half of that sitting on your bench. No chance.

Speaker 1 27:33

Because it just can't be. You need that start, but you know, listen nobody If you're sitting on the bench.

Speaker 2 27:44

You know a Lorne or a Corian. You're getting the last half an hour, you're getting rotated. It does soften the blow, but we just couldn't, we can't do that.

Speaker 1 27:52

It's not in the budget, it's not part of the budget and that's just where we fall back on. I remember Bobo Baldi was Celtic's highest player for a fucking year and a half. He was on 20 grand a week, I remember like saying a thing on. Twitter or something years ago saying Bobo Baldi has sat on the bench for fucking a year and a half Bobo Baldi.

Speaker 2 28:11

He was on 20 grand. He sat like that. Yeah, they killed you. Oh, fuck he don't feel well.

Speaker 1 28:16

Oh, so there you go. That's the heat. Some pairs signing for like fucking like pairs just sitting on the bench getting a fortune every week. Wayne Bridge done it. Wayne Bridge, like I say this because I'm always saying I support my city Wayne Bridge joined city for 12 million, sat in the bench for 200 grand a week or 180 grand a week for like a year and a half Wayne Bridge fucking 180 grand a week. What the fuck.

Speaker 2 28:39

Jesus and they get.

Speaker 1 28:41

They get the adage where it's security next three years, I'm getting that dough secured and if you want me.

Speaker 2 28:47

If you don't want me, you may pay me out. Oh exactly, pay me out and I'll happily go home and chill out and that's, that's where the dough and the finances now. It's just absolutely insane, the football world oh, big time.

Speaker 1 28:59

Even like at see the money some players are asking for. Like just play a charity event insane, that's insane. That's like fucking with Floyd Maynard. Floyd Maynard was running half an exhibition and he got 7 million. 7 million for a fucking 6 round exhibition. That's insane. And then they're just going on. I'll play a charity match and they're just fucking on the fence on the bed, fucking at the barber getting 40 G's in the pocket fucks sake, that's what you wanna get.

Speaker 2 29:25

That's what you wanna get to 100% Petrov's fucking running about here he was running moke for his fucking serious too. He was lethal. I know serious slavering me for scoring that goal. Your goal was on seed fucking three yards never cried about it.

Speaker 1 29:40

It was him who played me on, I know. That's why he's tagged him on twitter, did he?

Speaker 2 29:46

did my brother see Dal Dal, who's done the lanes man? He's like he's a wafer lanes man like he does the qualifiers for the conference league and if it's underage international games he does our games.

Speaker 1 30:00

So he's on side by about two yards and your man McAteer was giving him a fucking dog shit and I was like is he for real?

Speaker 2 30:06

fucking let it go. It's hard on you and then in the second half we were off and Jamie Robinson, the ref, he does the RAC. Obviously we had brought on a lot of the heavy boys and all and Giggs was like there was 12 players on and Jamie was like just play on, and Giggs was like we're not fucking starting the other player comes off and they're like come on the fuck, we're not taking this this seriously, see, remember we see at the very end Dara turned around and looked on the pitch.

Speaker 1 30:40

It was like 15 players and Giggs was just like Sub me, Take me off. He just went. I had nothing to do. There was 9 of us up front.

Speaker 2 30:48

Oh, I still can't score and I think John Ellis was in nets and he launched the ball up and he hit the only Player of a white shirt and there were 20 players of us and he hit the only player Of a fucking white shirt everybody had summed up our day oh, thank you.

Speaker 1 31:04

We were playing 10 pairs, one stage potty barns, me and you were all in posies, your eyes going. I didn't rank potty barns.

Speaker 2 31:13

Just touched the ball once I couldn't take it serious, because Cassie and her ma went to after and he goes. Rory, we just watched you for the first ten minutes and all you did was laugh and all you did, and I said I couldn't take anybody serious. And it was until you said to me here, motherfucker here.

Speaker 1 31:28

I am. I was going oh, we're taking this serious. I cut myself on see, whenever they started slamming, one of them said something or like I think I'm in the attack or something or something, and he fucking to leave it away. And then I was like fuck, that's alright. I'm going to leave it because I couldn't take it seriously because I was like I don't even know what to do here because it was just it was a wee bit surreal, going like grab gigs or maybe end the gig. I was like this is weird.

Speaker 2 31:54

I was just laughing because William Towson was playing left back and, honest to fuck, the match had kicked off. I hadn't even had a touch of the ball. I think it was two minutes into the game and McAtheer just walked past him and I was like, are you alright, lad? And he was like tell Shane to sub me. And I was like what? But obviously he's funny as fuck. So I was just like I couldn't take it serious.

Speaker 2 32:18

I just started laughing. He was like no, fucking tell Shane to sub me off here, I'm gonna be sick everywhere. So I was like it kicked off like two minutes ago, like are you gonna be sick? And he was like fucking, sub me off. So I had to shout over to Shane and Shane was like just get off a pitch to him because he was playing left back. So I was like Paddy, then come on.

Speaker 2 32:37

I got a short strike stuck around to it, left back. You'd think Paddy found a fiver. He didn't fucking move up that spot and left back and luckily he was just standing on it he didn't put that knee that knee brace on. Oh Jesus, honestly, it was one of the funniest first 20 minutes I've ever had.

Speaker 1 32:57

It was unreal, it was unbelievable. I was going this is nuts and it fucking it was just chaos on the bird.

Speaker 2 33:03

I was going this is nuts and it fucking. It was just chaos on the pitch. The amount of injuries were popping up on our team and like we had four hamstring injuries and I was going like Willie Grant and, come on, he was going to me, fuck, I've hamstringed her here. I started playing five and six pulled my hamstring, went for one run and pulled his hamstring again he while he was running.

Speaker 1 33:20

I said that's what you used to do during the day.

Speaker 2 33:22

None of you used to exercise, none of them moved like fuck, honest to god. But the wee William Towson playing left back when McAteer just walked past him and I was like, lad, you're not going to stop across. He's like sub me, now, get me off the fuck McAteer's older than a black knight and two dogs. It the whole day. The whole day was brilliant to be fair, wasn't it?

Speaker 1 33:43

it was brilliant it was well, well done. I think I was talking to Paul Harkin from Praisegaon. He was saying next year he'll do it properly. He says if I'm going to come in I'm going to take obviously it's, it's Tomby, the charity, it's. He's done a great, he always does a great job. Bit better no one knew about it, even if I posted photos and videos of it. The amount of people who messaged me or replied on my story going what the fuck? And the reading news was on and none of my mates even knew it was on until I told them and they were like what? Like shit.

Speaker 2 34:14

I mean Barbaton was going to be playing and I got a late shout from Shane about it and I think it was only maybe the Thursday that I could put up with the full teams. Yeah, and of course I got my name mixed up and put fucking Ronan in it. So Ronan texted me going are you playing this match? And I said he goes, how fucking everyone texts me here saying are you playing in this match?

The tragedy of Michael Hegney

Speaker 2 34:36

I said a fucking playoff game on the Monday, so he was definitely not playing then. But then I obviously shared the story and then all the boys were like fuck, is that this Saturday?

Speaker 1 34:45

I was like no one really knew about it at all. I was. So I think, like Paul was saying, like if he's going to get involved next year and do it properly, like really do it, like do loads of video content around it. Because there were some big names there, like Paul Hughes, paul Hughes yourself, eight like everyone, shane, they're all massive names, like they have all like hundreds of thousand followers. I know I mean.

Speaker 2 35:07

I had a load of kids that come to our coaching, that came to the match, and one was talking to one of our parents and he just goes. You know, like you look at all the sports people on there, you know Rory's playing Gage Ber, you had Paul Hughes MMA, and, and then he wanted a photo With a Big John Nellis.

Speaker 1 35:27

The YouTuber and his dad was going. What's?

Speaker 2 35:30

going on.

Speaker 1 35:31

He's got a million Of subscribers. He's got a million Subscribers on YouTube. I'm mad. I'm mad. I've seen a thing With him the other day. He had, like he does all Like the football stuff and he put like A football. He had, like he does all like the football stuff and he put like a football on a dartboard and knew the valve. He had the valve sticking out where the balls out would be, so he had the ball sitting like whatever way. He had it stuck to a dartboard. He was throwing darts and it took him 80 darts to throw a dart and get it stuck right inside the valve and I was like what the fuck?

Speaker 1 36:01

now the views must be massive he does all stuff like that just like people be like. It's just like guessing on these shots. It took me to get a, a dart and say this 12 and 80, 80. I says fucks, yeah, I'd be already.

Speaker 2 36:16

It was about 100 trying to throw it and to be first, even with them boys like obviously you know yourself, being from Belfast, you get tortured with fans and supporters and you know when you're doing well as well especially, everybody wants to know you, everybody wants to. But see to be fair to them boys, like you know you're not Paul Hughes after selling out the SSE. He got absolutely tortured.

Speaker 1 36:37

Yeah.

Speaker 2 36:37

He stood for every single photo.

Speaker 1 36:39

It was nice.

Speaker 2 36:40

in the end it was buckling down and it was like at the end it was coming down like nine inch nails fuck's sake.

Speaker 1 36:46

He stayed out there for 20, 25 minutes, like, and that's what's good about this place, like, I think everyone in belfast or even in ireland as a whole, anyone I know, south, north of your border, it doesn't matter, it's everyone just seems to be right down the earth. No, I mean, it's like no one really separates themselves from society. That's like I was saying earlier with car frampton we'd just go and have a pint and we'd talk people and oh right, fella, and how I can get a photo, and that's it, and that's the way it works. No one really separates themselves from society, kids or anyone and I. I think that's just something like very special about here.

Speaker 2 37:16

Like, even like you want kids to look up to you, don't you? And you want them to be the same.

Speaker 1 37:23

You want kids to be the same as you. You don't want kids to be like, no, like.

Speaker 2 37:26

turn themselves away from fucking and you look at Belfast and you look at how hard you've had to work from.

Speaker 1 37:31

You were probably 14 years of age to get to where you are now, and you're still not where you want to be. You still laugh more together.

Speaker 2 37:39

I'm the exact same. But you know, you want kids to look up and go. You know, and it was a wee thing that we were talking about when we won the Irish Cup and when we were driving to schools and all, and they were talking about and they said, like who's your idol, who do you look up to, and all. And the kids were going. You know Ronaldo and this and that it's I want kids. Now, if they're asked that question, you know, am I making a positive influence in their life? That's what it is. Do they want to be a Rory Hale when they grow?

Speaker 2 38:08

up do they want to be a Ronan Hale? That's what would mean a lot to me or a Patrick. I want to be a Sean McComb when.

Speaker 1 38:13

I'm older.

Speaker 2 38:14

It just gets that. Imagine you, you turn down, kid away they go. I know, I know you want kids to come up to you and go listen. That's who I want to look up to and be when I'm older big time.

Speaker 1 38:27

Because there's like that saying people say never meet your, your idol, because it's like it'll turn you off or it'll put you off. But like you don't want to be that idol, you want people to be. Like I give everyone my time, no matter what, anywhere, like my, like we're out for dinner and all people have come over to me while I'm eating my dinner and I don't mind that. No, like I do want to eat my dinner in peace with my family. But like like Dervla would say to me fuck, she's like, you're eating your dinner, get out of this room. I don't know what I'm saying, but Dervla like probably just thought one. No, anyone for a photo, no matter what. Like I've I've met, like like been in taste and furious company, I've been in loads of people's companies, but I've never said you can get a photo, I just don't do it.

Speaker 2 39:09

You know what I mean it's enough for me to know I've met them and know what they're like as a person. Simple as that you don't need a photo to prove it, but some people do.

Speaker 1 39:16

People just love that. I don't mind giving it like going here, go ahead before we're shining stuff. Or randomers message me all the time, be like hey, are you signing me in, are you signing us? Will you do a video shootout and such and such like people I don't even know? Don't even know who they are. Will you do a video for my son? He loves you and it's his birthday? I go, I don't sweat. Someone text me already.

Speaker 2 39:39

Send the bank details On their name we score. Send them boys, we'll be scoring.

Speaker 1 39:45

But, like your mom, remember the the wee earlob With the bald head he used to sit in a nip.

Speaker 2 39:49

Who was that he?

Speaker 1 39:49

used to shade in the cups and all and see all the stuff I got and people used to. He sits in a nip and fucking I forget his name and he.

Speaker 2 40:00

He does video shits For people for like a fire. You need to see him. You need to see him, I need to see him.

Speaker 1 40:05

I think they don't want for Paddy Barnes on a stag, he does like he sits in the net, he dances and all in the net. Does like shenanigans for people, for like a fire he was some laugh in that fucking match. Oh fuck me, he was useless.

Speaker 2 40:17

Useless, that's why sure I score all the time, fucking useless, sure I? I parked at McLean's and I was walking past and there he was getting scuffed in there, rossi's ice cream scuffed in there Rossi's ice cream?

Speaker 1 40:30

I don't even know. See, paddy, I don't think Paddy has sad times where he eats. You have your breakfast and he just eats, and it's not even late, sure I?

Speaker 2 40:38

went to him as soon as we finished. I said are you going for a beer here? And he's like nah, nah, I've got this High Rocks in the morning. I'm not going, I'm not going. I went up, went up there last time.

Speaker 1 40:48

There he was first one there paid the Guinness like I thought you weren't drinking.

Speaker 2 40:52

Because High Rocks cancelled their partner, cancelled all the other. I was like fucks.

Speaker 1 40:56

We used to go like see, we went to Nando's where do you work? Just one of them. That's where we cause our creams before his nandos and just go and eat it.

Speaker 2 41:08

And I go, that's like a dessert that's something you get from a cup of coffee.

Speaker 1 41:12

He's having a wee late night he was eating it before his nandos came out and he's like they're fucking great, and I was like you just come wait an extra 10 minutes when your nandos are coming out wait for your wings to come out.

Speaker 2 41:26

For your starter, I'd bring it straight in dessert first and anybody who doesn't have it.

Speaker 1 41:32

Just go on and get something sweet you know what I mean?

Speaker 2 41:34

I'd bring it, fucking, have you he just loves it, but I fucking.

Speaker 1 41:39

What? So the season ahead now. What's the goals for you? We'll finish on. What would you love to achieve this year with Climbal Before? Maybe the money might not start this year for you as well?

Speaker 2 41:50

Nah, I don't think so.

Speaker 1 41:52

What would you love for Climbal to achieve this year before the money comes?

Speaker 2 41:56

For me, the baseline every single year when we step into pre-season is qualifying for Europe again for next pre-season. That's the minimum for playing for Climbal. Luckily enough, I've played in you know five or six finals in the last few years. So getting in our final, getting in our major final, is very important because you want to keep that winning mentality instilled in the group. And the only thing I haven't won is a league title.

Speaker 2 42:23

I've won everything else so the only the missing piece I saw now as a league title and I lost about a point one year. Yeah, that's right, that's me. You know, obviously this season's going to be very difficult with the finances. You know, corian brought in serious quality, corian.

Speaker 1 42:40

Linfield are already Linfield, always have it.

Speaker 2 42:41

They've just and always say at the start you finish above Linfield to win the league. Yeah, you do not anymore, it's the amount of teams now that have got the finances that compete. So it's going to be difficult for me. You know a trophy in European football is the goal. On a personal level again, you know I've been in team of the season the last two years.

Charity match stories and looking forward

Speaker 2 43:05

I got player of the year again and that's the goal for me on a personal level is keeping that consistency. And this game is going to be difficult with a terrible league campaign last year. But we're hoping, if we get a good pre-season, good European games on their belt and I can drive us into that and, you know, push on to get a massive tie against Rovers. If we win this game that'll put us in good stead getting into the league. And we've got the fixtures out on Monday and first five games. That's what you want.

Speaker 1 43:37

You've got Bangor.

Speaker 2 43:38

Corain Linfield Lauren and. Carrick it. I mean, I love the big game, so looking into this season and our trophy would be absolutely amazing. But the minimum requirement is Europe, europe, 100%.

Speaker 1 43:51

Do you feel like you're like a leader now in the squad, a big one, a main leader, a main character in the squad? Do you think that drives your game? Do you think that's like I need to show up? I need to show like I need to step up to play? Play at every game.

Speaker 1 44:03

It's like only says pressure, because something like that for me I'd be like. I would be an honour for me to be like right, I fucking. It's up to me here. I need to fucking. I need to be at that level every week playing, because these lads behind me need to be fucking, knowing what's required here yeah and no.

Speaker 2 44:22

I am quite vocal. I give the boys a tough time, but I always say them as well if I'm not shouting, I don't give a bunny, I don't give a fuck about you, and you'll not last long in this team if I don't give a fuck about you. I am quite vocal, but I do like to show it by what. I give me the ball. I run 60 yards. We have balls. If I can do it to it. I like the show, the leadership, rather than just be barking in orders there's nothing wrong with that, but you've got to back it up 100%.

Speaker 2 44:54

You know yourself being in the game, sean. In the professional boxing game you've got to turn up when it matters, and I think I think I have over the last few years. I'm still really disappointed in how the think I have over the last few years. You know, I'm still still really disappointed in how the season ended with the Irish Cup final, because I think it's more one that got away from us.

Speaker 1 45:12

I would have been the ace on the cake sort of thing going there. Obviously his were favourites, but like there was always that element that there wee bowie maybe, but like he's running an early game early game and they game it sort of got away from me it was lost.

Speaker 2 45:30

rather, it was yours to lose 100%, and I don't know if you've experienced that in your boxing career, because you've been fucking successful, but I know there's ups and downs everywhere you go, but that was one that you're going, one that you're going fucking back to back Irish Cup champions that one could.

Speaker 2 45:47

You could have talked about that for the next 50, 60 years. It was one of them, ones that hurt because you're going, that one really got away from Missouri, because you know you're cementing your place in history, because you're double champions, back to back Irish Cups, because you won the League Cup, you won the Irish Cup, and it was just one of them ones that got away and that's where it took for me, as the captain of the club, to go. Listen, we've an hour game on Tuesday here against the Glens. Yeah, they often go again.

Speaker 2 46:13

You can sit there and crap at it all you want. You'll see me at the Oval on Tuesday night.

Speaker 1 46:17

If you're with me, you're with me.

Speaker 2 46:19

To be fair to the boys, the performances they put in, they go and beat the Glens 2-0 and then beat Coleraine 2-0 and NBA Colerain 2-0, and the Glens were a strong squad, both of them Colerain were probably the most important the performance was put on against the Glens and Colerain.

Speaker 1 46:35

If you give a performance in a final now, a final is different and that final could have been the difference. It's like how can we do this on a fucking Tuesday?

Speaker 2 46:42

you win that final, you don't need to go to the fucking oval. Exactly, You're 100% right. But again, when you sit down and you look at all everything that's happened throughout the year, like I am quite demanding for a team that's not full-time, but that's the levels that I'm at and that's the standards that we've set over the last few years, and it was actually until we had a couple of beers on the Sunday night after we beat Coleraine. You sit down and you go. What a fucking season that was. To lose the amount of players that we lost. We lost 60 goals with Ronan Hale, Ben Wilson, Sam Ashford. We lost 60-odd goals and then we lost big Luke Turner. We lost Kurtie Gallagher. Ronan Daugherty went to Coleraine To finish the season.

Speaker 2 47:28

You know, we won a league cup, bait and penalties in the Irish cup and we qualified for Europe and we lost a teammate during that season and you know, luckily for me, what I have and what one of my strengths are is, you know, strong, strong mentality and nothing can you know, break me, yep, not everybody's like me, aye, not everyone's like that.

Speaker 1 47:53

No, so they're different. They're going to suffer different ways.

Speaker 2 47:55

They're going to fucking feel it, and that's how it was hard for me to go. How the fuck are you using that? No, are you using that? Everything that's happened? Yeah, exactly, and everyone deals with it differently. Like I remember, you know, I got the text off of Conor Pepper and I rang Jim straight away and I was sitting in the car with my partner and Jim had said to me he's like Rory, we need you to push through these lads. But I was quite close with Michael, but I just burst out crying. I hadn't cried in fucking 10 years. Do you know what I mean? I think the last time I cried I got released by Villa and it was one of the moments. Sober moment, like you're just going fuck me.

Speaker 1 48:32

Same age, it was his birthday that's right, it was his birthday and we had a match that night.

Speaker 2 48:36

Yeah, fuck me and I think I won hurts a lot more because I remember thinking that match had been cancelled.

Speaker 1 48:41

I thought that match. Oh, why? And?

Speaker 2 48:42

listen, you know, when someone passes away in their 60s or 70s that's life he had his whole life ahead of him, but for a 28 year old footballer who had, you know, his whole life ahead of him as well it was.

Speaker 2 48:57

It was very upsetting and you know I did take a bad, but you know life does have to go on and I used that as my motivation going forward. You know we got the number 5 in our shirts, which was a lovely touch from our kit man, because you know if anything was getting tough or you're playing in a match and I remember playing away to Larne on the semi-final of the League Cup and again everything comes back to good moments.

Speaker 2 49:22

You know that big day you were probably at the final when we beat the Glens, what an occasion, 15,000 fans beating the Glens 1-0, you get the party for a couple of days, but behind the scenes you played Lauren in the semi-final on a Tuesday night and we were down near Burr Bones. We actually played with Corn Madden, who's 15 years of age, and the day the morning after was our flight to Newcastle for the funeral. So to go and win that and the last kick of the game on the Tuesday night, when the going's getting tough and you have a wee, look down.

Speaker 1 49:54

You see the wee five in your shirt and you're going fuck, I can run extra you know I can do that extra run. It can be like a wee you get goosebumps.

Season goals and leadership at Cliftonville

Speaker 2 50:01

Now you're saying stuff, that's what it's for you know what I mean, because that fella Miguel, he had a honestly noobs would have trained every session like it was his last he had a two footed, sean, you'd have been running with a ball and Jim would be shouting, please no, tackling Miguel no and he would just empty he didn't care and I'd be going. I never emptied me in a pre-season game, just training game fuck get on mate alright alright, but that that was.

Speaker 2 50:27

That was the type of things that you forget about, sean. When you know you get beat in a cup final and you're dwelling on everything, you're going, he never played, you're going and I'll fucking get him a bye ball.

Speaker 1 50:37

So, again, it's been a very difficult season, but a successful one for me and I think we've done him really good considering everything I came in, you've done brilliant, considering the circumstances of the ring, the players you've lost and just everything that was going on. Obviously, people, because you can imagine what people are like. You say people, everyone deals with stuff differently but you imagine people going in and being like. There's not enough trigger point for like people going like fuck me, this is mad, he's not like and that's all they think about through the game like you're thinking there are people who could be just sitting thinking about him and the boys share the house.

Speaker 2 51:19

So the boys had the club have a house and I think it was maybe five or six of them living in a big, massive house, so any players we get from Ireland or England and Scotland, so I think it was six of them in the house and there were five young boys in with him you're talking from 18 to 21 and he was the big brother in the house. He cooked the dinners, paid the bills, looked after them. So you kind of forget again that kind of affected them imagine him walking into a house and his room.

Speaker 2 51:46

You forget about all stuff like that there and it really does put everything into perspective.

Speaker 1 51:50

I know 100%. So fucking Big season ahead, then Massive season ahead, 100%, let's try and get another trophy and an RTA out for all the boys. 100%. We'll get an RTA Right next year, me and you up front this time now. We'll keep a cup there. We'll keep William. We'll keep William Thompson in the gap for Paddy. Alright, folks, he's still on the pitch. He's starting to have fever cheers for coming on.

Speaker 2 52:17

I appreciate it good man.